Automatic grain-weighing machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

V. WEBER & J. R. HARRISON. AUTOMATIC GRAIN WEIGHING MACHINE.

(No Model.)

INVBNTOR 40 5 (R0 Mx adel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. V. WEBER & J. R. HARRISON. AUTOMATIG GRAIN. WEIGHING MACHINE.

No. 369,486. Patented Sept. 6, 1887.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR I Winb 25% BY ,m 46% I vuu/Mv g ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

VALENTIN WEBER AND JAMES R. HARRISON, OF PRINOEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN-WEIGHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,486, dated September 6, 1887.

Serial N0. 232,510. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, VALENTIN WEBER and JAMES R. HARRISON, both of Princeville, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Weighing-Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved machine for weighing grain automatically as it is received from the thrashing-machine.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improve ment in the position for receiving a charge of grain. Fig. 2 is a central sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4c is an end view of the same, and Fig. 5 is an inverted sectional elevation of the tripping device.

The elevator A, of any approved construction, is connected with the grain-spout of the thrashing-machine, so that the grain is carried upward and is discharged into the downwardlyextending hopper B, provided on each side with a bracket, 0, having a knife-edge, on which is fulcruined the weighing-beam D, sup porting on knife-edges at each side the grain box E, held below the spout B. The other end of the beam D is provided with the usual poise, D, and the downward motion of the beam is limited by the stop D, secured to the side of the elevator A.

The grain-box E is kept in a vertical position by the links E, pivotally connected with the elevator A and the grain-box E. Said box is open at the top and bottom; but the latteris adapted to be closed by a sliding bottom, F, held in suitable bearings on the grain-boX E and connected by links G with the crankarms H and H, secured on the ends of the trans verse shaft H held in suitable bearings on the elevator A, passing through the same without interfering with the endless belt and buckets of the elevator.

On the crank-arm H is pivoted the spring trippingpawl I, adapted to engage with its inner end the ratchct'wheel J, secured to one face of the sprocket-wheel J, turning loosely on the shaft 1-1 and connected by asprocketchain, J with the sprocket-wheel J secured to the elevator-shaft A, which receives its rotary motion in the usual manner.

The outer end of the pawl I is adapted to engage the lug K, formed on the outer end of the lever K, fulcrumed on a pin, K secured to the elevator A, and the leverK is pivotally connected at its inner end with the grain-box E. The other crank-arm, H, operates on the lever L, pivoted at its lower end to the elevator A and held in contact with the said crank arm H by the spring L.

The upper end of-the lever L is pivotally connected by the link N with the gate 0, adapted to close the mouth of the hopper B, being secured to the rods 0, pivoted on the outer side of said hopper B. To insure an easy movement to the sliding bottom F, and to preventthe grain from cloggingin the grain box E, I provide the latter with a slanting side, E, which opens upon the pivoted in clined scraper E resting with its inner end on top of the said bottom F. I

The operation is as follows: In the position shown in the drawings the grain-box E is closed at its lower end by the sliding bottom F, the mouth of the hopper B is opened as its gate 0 is held in the outermost position by the lever L, and the tripping-pawl l is out of contact with the ratchet-wheel J, but is in contact with the lug K of the leverK. Now, when the elevator A is set in motion in the usual manner, it discharges the grain into the hopper B, which delivers the same into the grain-box E, which thus begins to fill. At the same time the sprocket-wheel J is rotated by the elevator-shaft A and imparts a similar motion by the sprocketchain J z to the sprocketwheel J and the ratchet-wheel J, which retate loosely on the shaft H. As soon as the grain in the grain-box E over-balances the weight to which the scale-beam D is set by its poise D, then the grainbox E moves downward, so that the lever K is caused to swing upward at its outer end, whereby the lug K disengages thetripping-pawl I, which is forced by its spring into contact with the ratchetwheel J, so that the pawl is carried with the ratchet-wheel, thereby imparting a rotary motion to theshaft H and its crank-arms II and H. The revolving motion of the shaft II forces the crank-arm II to move away from the lever L, whereby the latter is moved inward by its spring L, thus causing the gate O, by means of the link N, to swing inward and close the mouth of the hopper B, so that no more grain can enter the grain-box E. At the same time the crank-arms II and H pull on the sliding bottom F by means of the links G, so that the bottom F slides outward, thereby opening the lower end of the grain-box I l, which thus dis charges its contents. As soon as the grain is discharged from the box E, the weighingbeam D causes the box to rise to its former position until the beam Drests on its stop D". The outer end of the lever K is caused to swing downward by the upward motion of the box E, so that when the trippinglever I has made one revolution its upper end will again strike the lug K, so that the pawl I turns on its pivot onthe crank-arm ILwhereby the lower end is disengaged from the ratchet-wheel .I, which keeps on turning with the sprocket-wheel J, while the shaft H and the crank-arms H and H remain stationary until the tripping-lever is again released, as above described. The erankarm II in its last quarter of a revolution pushes the lever L outward to its normal position, (shownin Fig. 3,) whereby the gate 0 is swung outward from the mouth of the hopper B and the abovedeseribed operation is repeated.

It will be seen that the grain-box E is automatically emptied whenever a certain weight (indicated by the beam D) is obtained. Every discharge of the grain-box is counted, so that the total weight of the grain passing through the box E can be easily calculated. A registering device of any approved construction can be connected with the grain-box, so as to register automatically the number of times the grain-box has been emptied.

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an automatic grain-weighing machine, the combination, with a grainbox and a bot tom adapted to slide thereon, of crank-arms connected with said bottom, a shaft carrying said crank -arms, a ratchet-wheel rotating loosely on said shaft, and a spring trippingpawl pivoted on one of said crank-arms and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, sub stantially as shown and described.

2. In an automatic grain-weighing machine, the combination, with a grain-box and a bottom adapted to slide thereon, of crankarms connected with said bottom, a shalt carrying said crank arms, a ratchet wheel rotating loosely on said shaft, a spring tripping-pawl pivoted on one of the arms and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, and a lever pivotally connected with said grain-box and adapted to engage said tripping-pawl, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an automatic weighing-machine, a grain-box, a bottom sliding thereon, and a weighingbeam supporting said grain-boX, in combination with crank-arms connected with said sliding bottom, a shaft carrying said crank-arms, a ratchet-wheel rotating loosely on said shaft, and a springpawl pivoted on one of said crank-arms and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an automatic grain-weighing machine, a grain-box, a bottom sliding thereon, and a weighing-beam supporting said grain-box, in combination with crank-arms connected by links with said sliding bottom, a shaft carry ing said crank-arms, a ratchetwheel rotating loosely on said shaft, a spring tripping-pawl pivoted on one of said crank-arms and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, and a lever pivotally connected with said grain-box and adapted to engage said tripping-pawl, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an automatic weighing-machine, a grain-box having one ofits sides inclined and a pivoted inclined scraper upon which said inclined side opens, in combination with a sliding bottom held in said grain-box and on which the lower end of said inclined scraper rests,-substantially as shown and described.

6. In an automatic weighing-machine, a grain-box, a weighing-beam supporting said grain-box, a bottom adapted to slide on said grain-box, and crank-arms connected with said bottom for operating the same, in combination with a hopper opening into said grainbox, a swinging gate adapted to close the mouth of said hopper, a rod pivotally connected with said gate, and a spring-lever connected with said rod and operated by one of said crank'arms, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a grain-weighing machine, an elevator-hopper, a swinging gate adapted to close the mouth of said hopper, a rod connected with said swinging gate, and a springpawl for operating said rod, in combination with a grain-box, a weighing-beam supporting said grain-box, links for holding said grainbox in position, a bottom adapted to slide on said grain-box, crank-arms connected by links with said sliding bottom, a shaft carrying said crank arms, a tripping-lever pivoted on one ofsaid crank-arms,a lever pivptally connected with the grain-box and adaptedto engage said trippingpawl, and a ratchet-wheel placed loosely on said crank-arm shaft and receiving a rotary motion from the elevator-shaft, substantially as shown and described.

VALENTIN WEBER. JAMES R. HARRISON.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK Wnnnn, Josnrn GERMAN. 

